Sexual Orientation Discrimination Has No Place at Law School

This letter to the editor indicates that UVa's Law School is one of the only top American law schools that does not include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy. The Gay and Lesbian Law Students Association asserts that this omission damages the law school's civil rights image, and intends to put forward a petition to include this provision.

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Sexual Orientation Discrimination Has No Place at Law School
The University of Virginia Law School is one of the only top law schools that does not have a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation. Boalt, Columbia, Harvard, Michigan, N.Y.U., U.C.L.A., U. Penn. And Yale already include such a statement in their admissions bulletin.
GALLSA (Gay and Lesbian Law Students Association) feels that the absence of such a policy at the Law School hurts the Law Schoolâ€™s civil; rights image. Inclusion of a statement of nondiscrimination for sexual orientation will demonstrate that the Law School welcomes and encourages a broad range of viewpoints among the student body. In addition, the Law School will set an example that will benefit the University as a whole.
Next week, GALLSA will circulate a petition addressed to Dean Merril, requesting the Law School to include a statement of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the admissions materials. We encourage all students to stop by our table in the lobby to sign the petition and to learn more about the gay and lesbian rights movement.
GALLSA will continue its educational function by hosting Dan Bradley, former president of Legal Services Corporation, who will speak in late March in Caplin Auditorium. We Are also sponsoring a speech by former Congressman Robert Bauman (R-Md.), on April 5. We look forward to inviting more speakers to discuss gay and lesbian issues in the Law School. We meet several times a month and encourage all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, to attend.
Richard Avidon
LAW III
Mary Lou Weber
LAW II